A taxi driver from Cologne has been sentenced to nine months suspended imprisonment by the Higher Regional Court (OLG) Düsseldorf) for spying for Turkey. According to reports, he confessed to the espionage charges and waived his right to appeal on Thursday after the verdict. The sentence also includes a violation of the Weapons Act because he gave an accomplice 200 rounds of live ammunition.

In September 2021, Aziz A., a German Turk, obtained and passed on information about two suspected followers of the Islamist preacher Fethullah Gülen living in Cologne. The Higher Regional Court gave the 47-year-old mitigating credit for the fact that this had not had any serious consequences for the affected parties.

"I WAS NOT AWARE OF THE CONSEQUENCES"

"I only wanted to help my country, but I didn't want any trouble," Aziz A. said, claiming that he had not been aware of the repercussions his agent activities could have. He allegedly gave the information and the ammunition to 41-year-old Ali D., who was sentenced in July to 21 months' imprisonment on probation for intelligence agent activities for Ankara. The cartridges and a list with names and wanted posters of supporters of the Gülen movement, but also people of Kurdish origin, had been found in a Düsseldorf hotel room in September last year. A staff member made the discovery in Ali D.'s room and informed the police. The incident triggered a large-scale operation.

GÜLEN, FORMER ALLY OF ERDOĞAN

The regime in Ankara blames the so-called Gülen movement for the alleged coup attempt in Turkey in 2016 and is taking action against members of the organisation at home and abroad. Until the "coup attempt", the Gülen movement in Turkey was considered the Erdogan regime's biggest supporter. In 2013, Erdogan and Gülen fell out. The preacher's movement is considered a terrorist organisation in Turkey.